September 3, 2019

Irish meat farmers' protest hampers plant visit by Chinese delegation
 

 

Protesting Irish farmers prevented a Chinese delegation from entering a meat facility in Co Roscommon, Ireland, as protests over beef prices continues in the country, The Irish Times reported this week.

 

The delegation had planned to inspect several factories, with a possible intention to increase Irish exports to China. However, a blockade set up by protestors at the Kepak meat plant in Athleague, Co Roscommon, stopped their access to the site, said a spokesman for the facility.

 

"Management arranged for the delivery of 90 cattle to the plant this morning, but on arrival were met with up to 40 protestors who illegally blockaded the entrance and refused to allow any livestock truck pass," he explained.

 

According to the spokesman, the Kepak Athleauge manaegment talked to the protestors who did not have a representative and insisted that "no truck would be passing the illegal blockade."

 

"While making repeated requests to secure entry of the cattle and lambs and while highlighting the importance to the region of the plant being 'Chinese export approved', management were personally verbally threatened," he added.

 

The Kepak management was forced to cancel the scheduled inspection by the Chinese delegation as a result. Such visits had taken many years of negotiations conducted by Ireland's meat sector, the spokesman pointed out.

 

"Until today, all inspections of other sites had taken place as per the planned schedule," he said.

"Given the uncertainty around Brexit and the current weak meat market across Europe, China is one significant growth market that offers great potential for Irish beef and lamb."

 

The spokesman also described the blockade as counterproductive to farmers' interests, and that "the cost of the failure to get this site Chinese export approved will be primarily borne by west of Ireland farmers for many years."

 

Concerns were raised that the Irish sector could miss out on a multimillion euro deal due to the protests, at a time when Brexit threatens exports to the UK.

 

Recent pickets held outside plants were mainly led by the Beef Plan Movement, a grassroots body, as farmers were unhappy for the prices they were getting for their animals.

 

While an agreement was reached in talks, the movement could not convince its members to endorse it.

 

- The Irish Times